Claire's Sketchbook

Twenty-five and a half hours in San Luis Obispo...

2012-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Twenty-five and a half hours in San Luis Obispo (or as the locals say "SLO town") ...

Last weekend my husband and I drove about 3 hours each way to spend what turned out to be 25.5 hours in San Luis Obispo, California. We're very attached to this sweet little town where we both attended college, and where two of our sons have attended as well. This time we went to visit our middle son, Sean, as he is finishing up his Architecture degree. Although we were only there for 25.5 hours, we sure fit a lot into our time, starting with wine tasting when we arrived at 4pm.

This page is my keepsake of our weekend. We were sad when it was time to head home Sunday evening. But, I managed to bring part of our weekend home with us - my journal page 2 bottles of wine, and "goodie bags" filled with our son's homemade Toffee Chip cookies that he made during the football game. It was a wonderful weekend and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with our son. Lots of memories to treasure!

P.S. I think Oprah and National Geographic's "Thrive" have the right idea in calling San Luis Obispo "The happiest city in America". That sounds pretty good to me.

New Orleans Adventure: Mardi Gras World

2012-01-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

Its a new year.... but I am working on some unfinished business from 2011. I'm continuing to work on finishing my travel journal of my Watercolor Adventure in New Orleans with Laure Ferlita and some other special women. I posted the first two double page spreads last year (first and second), and this post contains my next set of pages.

What a fun adventure I had at Mardi Gras World! There was to much to SEE!!! and I learned so much more about Mardi Gras than I ever would have imagined. When Laure first suggested that we all find a spot and take a seat for awhile and sketch ... I sort of blanked out -- what should I choose. I remembered the sun image as we first entered the big room (from the intro room w/King cake) - it was lying near the door and it was a happy image that appealed to me - so I chose it first (but sketched it later). Then, wandering around I spotted Leonardo... and I just couldn't focus on anything else. Leonardo touched on some special memories with my 3 sons when they were enamored with the Turtles. In some ways I think sketching and painting Leonardo was less intimidating than trying to capture a real person - even though there are similarities in the overall shapes.

I've got plans for many more pages and it will be fun to relive my adventure as I work on the remaining pages.

P.S. I plan to add the small fold-over, credit card size promo for Mardi-Gras World. I plan to stitch it into the seam between pages 6 and 7 - so all 4 sides will be visible and not take up any space on these 2 pages.

Clementines from the backyard

2012-01-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

I thought I better capture a few of these Clementines from our dwarf tree in the backyard before we pick them and forget that we had some. I think this is the first real (although small) harvest since we planted it 10 years ago when my youngest was in 2nd grade. His teacher introduced us to Clementines and my little guy was smitten right away.

Twas a few weeks after....

2012-01-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, one more holiday related post here. As I put away our Christmas decorations, I kept 5 ornaments out for sketching. I've captured one of these ornaments on this page and I'll save the others for later in the year when I'm thinking about holiday cards for 2012. Once I had sketched my little Santa here... I put the green pen in my hand and some silly words started flowing and filling the page. Hope you get a chuckle.

Now.... on with 2012!!!

P.S. Now I get to go paint my square on my 2012 Art Calendar!

I'm going to do it again ...

2012-01-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

Back in 2009 I adopted 2 practices that helped me focus on my art and added meaning to my year.

One practice was to make and start keeping an Art calendar, to keep track of the days that I incorporated some 'art' in the day, and to encourage me to do more art in my days. At the end of the day, it has become a treat for me to color in a square on my simple homemade calendar if I have done something art related. The color I choose might be reflective of the colors that I painted with that day. I've punched holes in the calendar so I can keep it in my daytimer. Whenever I open my daytimer to the calendar, just seeing the colors and the reminder of 'art' makes me smile. I enjoy this so much that I've found myself thinking 'I want to do art tonight so I can fill-in a square'. It must sound silly, but, there is something motivational to me to fill in a square with a little spot of color each day. It is fun to watch my colorful calendar quilt emerge as I get further into the year.

I originally found the art calendar idea on Margaret Ann's website. Have you tried keeping an art calendar? or does it sound like an interesting idea to you? Let me know what you think of this.

You may notice the big word, Sparkle, on my calendar this year. That is my Word for 2012. Choosing a word for the year helps me set my intentions for the year. This is another practice that I started back in 2009 (my word for 2009 was 'Bloom', 2010 was 'Clarity', and 2010 was 'Color my world'). I like to put my word of the year on my art calendar to keep it on my mind. I have found it interesting, fun, and rewarding to adopt a special word or phrase of intention for the year. The word also gives me a lens to reflect with as I go through the year. With a new 'empty nest' at home (youngest son has gone off to college), 'Sparkle' captures for me that this is a year for me to branch out more as an individual (as well as reconnect with my husband) than focusing on being a mom. Holding the word 'Sparkle' in mind encourages me to look for ways to put more art and creativity in my days. We'll see how it goes...

I originally learned of the 'Word of the year' idea from Christine Kane's website, and I've seen it mentioned on several other websites or articles since. Have you ever adopted a word for the year? what was your experience like? or does it sound like an interesting idea for 2012?

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T00:17:00.001-08:00

The end of 2011 arrived with a spectacular sunset this evening. I guess that is sort of fitting for the 'end' or sunset of the year.

When I returned home this evening after running some errands, and as I was carrying in my bags, I was suddenly stuck by the colorful sunset in the sky. Fortunately, I thought to pause and appreciate it, and then I quickly ran in the house to grab my camera. I took a couple of photos of this view, looking down my street between the other homes. As I waited for the clock to approach midnight, I was in another world as I painted this scene to remember.

Happy New Year!!
I wish you all a wonderful year in 2012!
-- Claire

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-25T16:06:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all the blog friends. I wish you a wonderful holiday with your family and friends, and I hope Santa stopped by and treated you well...

As the holiday winds down this coming week, I look forward to getting back to my 'art toys' and doing some more watercolor journaling. I hope you'll stop by again to visit.

Let me introduce you .....

2011-12-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

I hope my incomplete title caught your interest .... as I have something exciting that I want to share with you. I recently came across Leslie Fehling's charming Irish travel journal on her blog and I think you will enjoy it too.

Leslie recently traveled to Ireland with her mother and she has captured priceless memories of their adventure in her sketchbook journal. It has been fascinating for me to follow along as she has posted the different pages on her blog. Leslie's images that I have posted here are just a small taste of what is waiting for you over on her blog. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, take a stroll over to Leslie's blog, and have a look at her charming Irish Journal. You're in for a treat!!

P.S. The link I provided above will go to the most recent post on Leslie's blog - which right now is the last portion of the Irish travel journal. Use this link to go directly to the first page of Leslie's Irish Journal.

My home away from home in New Orleans

2011-12-11T22:19:00.001-08:00

This is the second 2-page spread in my NOLA journal - pages 4 and 5. I loved the Place d'Armes Hotel and I felt right at home in my room. I loved the quaintness, homey feel, and even the quirkiness of the hotel - and my room was an obvious choice to capture in my journal. It was GREAT that we were living right in the French Quarter - it really made me feel that we were 'living' the adventure - rather than commuting in to be a 'visitor' (or 'observer') to the French Quarter each day.

The beginning of an unbelievable adventure

2011-12-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Just a month ago I stepped out to do something very different for me. I had been looking forward to this trip since early in the year, and I was super excited and filled with anticipation as the time grew near. My adventure started as I took a week off of work and flew by myself to New Orleans to meet (for the first time) Laure Ferlita and 7 other women for NOLA Live! The adventure truly was "An Artist's Painting Holiday"!!!

I'm not used to traveling alone, I'm usually with family members. So there were more than a few butterflies in my stomach as my plane took off! Once I landed it still felt a little unfamiliar to get a cab by myself and just show up at the reserved hotel. I checked in, got my key, and went to my room by myself to unload my things. It was a quick stop as I hurried back down to the lobby to meet the group and go to dinner. It was an amazing intro - from the moment I met everyone it felt as if I had just rejoined a bunch of long time friends. During the magical week we explored the quaint French Quarter together, sketched and painted in our journals, walked and walked, chatted a bunch, and ate amazing meals too! It was all so much fun!

We had numerous sketching opportunities during the week to work in our journals. Since I have returned home I have continued working on sketches and adding memorabilia to my journal to record my adventure. Tonight I'm posting the first 2-page spread in my journal, and I'll continue to post the other pages as I work my way through my journal.

Pointing out a couple of things on these 2 pages - the portable chair that I carried EVERYWHERE to use for sketching, and Tujagues a charming old restaurant where we enjoyed our first meal together (Sunday dinner).

P.S. I am excited about the watercolor journal that I used for the trip. It was made by Lori Vliegan of Elvie Studio. The cover says 'Always follow your heart' and that is just what I did in traveling to New Orleans for this special adventure.

Leaf reflections 2011

2011-11-27T23:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Fall to everyone!!

Where did the summer go? .... A view of St. Peters

2011-10-15T21:20:00.001-07:00

This is a view of St. Peters in Italy. You might be thinking that I visited Italy over the summer... well not quite. I took another imaginary adventure with Laure Ferlita, and loved journeying through Italy from my dining room table. It would have been even better if I'd really been in Italy, but I'll have to save that experience for another time... when all the kids are out of college.

Admiralty Head Lighthouse - view from afar

2011-09-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

First view of Admiralty Head Lighthouse (WA) - Claire

This page was painted from a photo that my son sent me back in June of the Admiralty Head Lighthouse in Washington state .... he took the picture as he passed by on his bike. He knows how I've developed an interest in lighthouses over the years. I looked up this lighthouse on the web to find out more about it. To my surprise.... I found out that my son's view of the lighthouse only captures the top floor. There is more that you can't see from this image.

We later visited my son and I got to see the 'whole thing' for myself and take pictures for future paintings.

They just caught my eye....

2011-09-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

These are tiles on a retaining wall in San Luis Obispo, California. I discovered the tiles when we took our middle son back to college. We were actually in route to an art festival, but I couldn't resist looking at these tiles as we parked the car. I decided to snap a quick photo of them to use for a sketch later. Just a reminder to me .... that I can find a subject to sketch just about anywhere.... and its time to get back into the practice/habit of frequently sketching and painting. I'm glad to be back!!

P.S. This is painted in my handmade leather journal that contains handmade paper. It is a different experience working with the handmade paper, but it is fun to work with something that feels so organic or relaxed. It contributes to the informal style of the sketch. This isn't the journal that I usually work in, but it is fun to work in it for a change.

Shuttle Memories

2011-07-21T23:37:00.001-07:00

The final Shuttle, Atlantis, landed this morning at 5:57pm. It marked the end of NASA's 30 year shuttle program. The first shuttle launched back on April 12, 1981. It amazes me to think that there have been 135 shuttle missions with 355 space flyers! What an incredible history!! I have fond memories of my husband, and all 3 of our boys and their interest in the Space Shuttles. Together we have watched numerous launches, landings, and broadcasts from space.

Back in February my son Ryan drove several hours in Florida to see the Discovery make her final launch. What a memorable site for a boy who grew up with toy Space Shuttles and a desire to be an astronaut. A photo that he took during the launch inspired the painting on the left.

I tip my hat to NASA - its been an incredible ride!

Wandering through Coupeville - Whidbey Island

2011-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

After visiting the Farmer's Market in Coupeville, we enjoyed wandering through town.

Good Morning Whidbey Island!!

2011-07-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

My husband and I recently visited our oldest son in his new home on Whidbey Island in Washington State. I painted this from a not-so-great, out-the-car-window photo as we drove by on the first morning. I was really taken by the beautiful sites in the area and I have many more pictures to paint from.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July !! It sure was HOT here in California!!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, two of my sons and I celebrated Father's Day by taking my husband to lunch at Aldo's at the Santa Cruz Harbor. It was a beautiful day as we sat on the deck at the edge of the water, and we enjoyed this view while we ate our delicious lunch. We had fun watching the sailboats that were going out along with a few paddle-surfboards to enjoy the wonderful summer day in California.

Aldo's was an appropriate place to celebrate Father's Day for another reason. I learned about Aldo's from my own Dad before he passed away in 2001. Regrettably I never got to visit Aldo's with Dad, but I'm grateful to know how much he and my mom enjoyed it. While enjoying our time at Aldo's yesterday, I kept thinking of my Dad and how much I miss him. With the sentimental connections, this charming cafe is a very special place for my mom and my family to come.

Hoppin' Prop label

2011-06-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

My oldest son brewed Hoppin' Prop for his graduating class from flight school in Jacksonville. The plane on the label is a P3. Classmates and teachers enjoyed celebrating their big milestone with this special brew. All of the new P3 pilots are now off to their first squadron assignments. Congratulations to the new P3 pilots!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and friends - but only one mother in the whole world.

Kate Douglas Wiggin

Mom - you're one of a kind and I love you bunches!

Happy Mother's Day!

Stones Everywhere

2011-05-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

For some time I've really been intrigued by stone groupings or structures, many of which are in Ireland. I had hoped to see some recently during our real visit but we didn't have time to check them out. So.... I'll have to wait for a future trip to see some up close. In the meantime.... I can imagine seeing them.

Another Imaginary Day in Ireland

2011-04-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

If only these walls could talk ... imagine the stories they could tell dating all the way back to 1228!! At one point the Castle was an estate for the Guinness family, and in the early 1950's the John Wayne movie, 'The Quiet Man' was filmed here.

Today the Ashford Castle is a resort hotel covering cover 350 acres, and a wide range of possible activities for guests. The grounds are beautiful and tranquil. Guests are lodged in 72 bedrooms, 5 state rooms, and 6 suites, which are all uniquely decorated in historic decor. Wouldn't it be fun to visit?

Dreaming of a trip to Ireland

2011-04-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

I recently finished an Imaginary Trip to Ireland with Laure Ferlita, and then I also had a short 3 day real visit to Ireland with my husband and middle son.

As I did my assignments for the Imaginary class, I had a sneaky suspicion that the "Cliffs of Moher" might be on my middle son's wish list for Ireland. Two years ago he sat daydreaming on our couch with a LARGE photo book of Ireland (about 12 in by 15.5 inches) and he used green stickies to mark on a map in the book the sites he wanted to see when he could arrange a trip to Ireland. Well... half way through his study abroad year he has visited many, many countries in Europe but he still hadn't arranged with any friends to visit Ireland yet. So... when my husband and I went to visit him in Copenhagen last month .... we managed a 3 day side venture to Ireland. Unfortunately with our time constraints (only 3 days in Ireland) we weren't able to fit in a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. We'll have to leave it for a future visit. But, on this page I tried to capture a representation of my memory of my son, the big picture book of Ireland, and his green stickies as he was daydreaming at home. We had a great time in Ireland and I came home with many pictures to sketch from.

More family collaboration

2011-03-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

My oldest son continues with his homebrewing hobby and this post contains the latest beer labels that we collaborated on. He gets pretty creative in brewing his batches of beer from scratch - and he comes up with interesting names for them. Working on the labels has been an interesting adventure for us in collaboration over the internet - he sends me the info, I make up a label and send him the jpeg. He prints them out and applies them to his bottles. Of course.... it would be even better if we were under the same roof and could taste his creations together!!

Links to previous posts for beer labels:

first set of labels
second set of labels
Christmas surprise (read forward to see the photos)

Some more imaginary exploring in Ireland

2011-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Beginning to explore Ireland

2011-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

The page on the calendar has turned to March, the hills near home are green, and St. Patrick's day is coming soon. I'm starting to feel a bit Irish. All together it seems like the perfect time to do some exploring of Ireland. I'm doing just that as I'm traveling on another imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita through Ireland. I continute to be amazed at how much fun and how much learning that I get out of these 'imaginary trips' .... without ever leaving home!!

Mouse Love

2011-02-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

Thinking of Valentine's Day reminded me of a cute Messenger of Love that my parents used through the years to deliver their messages of love to each other. We never had real mice at my home growing up, but through the years there were many mice on cards and notes, and little mice figurines in the house. Since Dad passed away in 2001, I've taken over for him and I periodically find a special mouse to give my mom. She has even given me a few. I'm quite fond of the "Charming Tails" figurines that often feature mice, and I decided that one would be a good model for my page. The only problem was that I couldn't remember which Valentine Mice that Mom has... (and I didn't have any pictures of her mice). So, I searched the internet for a Charming Tails mouse to use as a model for my sketch. This Cheese guy looked so cute that not only did I sketch and paint him.... but I also ordered one to give Mom for Valentine's Day. Just a little surprise.... I had for her this year.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

Special Valentine Memory

2011-02-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is fast approaching ..... here is a special Valentine memory from my husband in the past.

Thinking of Valentine's Day around the corner .... and blooming roses ....

2011-01-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

I always think of roses around Valentine's day. But, in the moment ...I'm still busy with my annual rose pruning. None of my rose bushes is blooming at the moment, and as I'm poked by the thorns while I'm pruning - I need to remember that the blooms will come with time and they will each share their beauty. I 'm looking forward the beginning of their blooming season.

A few focus words for my year in 2011

2011-01-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, now that my last Christmas ornament has been put away.... I can move on to 2011 thoughts/plans/ideas etc.The past 2 years I've followed others and adopted a word for the year. 2009 was 'Bloom' and 2010 was 'Clarity'. Over the holidays I let different words float around in my head - as I wondered what word would accompany me in 2011?

I finally adopted the words 'Color My World' for 2011. I got the idea of these words when I saw a rubber stamp on the Elvie Studio blog with the words "Color Your World'. I was instantly smitten with the darling stamp - but more importantly, the words just kept nudging me. I know this phrase is more than a single word, but there is an idea here that really speaks to me for 2011. It might be another way of saying 'Intention' for the year, and I've changed the middle word to 'My' to make it more personal.

In the past couple of years I have realized how important color is in my life. My current passion for color is most obvious with sketching and painting. But, beyond luscious watercolors... I'm drawn to color in flowers, colorful foods at the farmer's market, sprinkles for cookies/cupcakes, fabrics, papers, beads or jewels, paints, pens, pencils, or even crayons. Sometimes I wear something colorful, but usually I prefer to wear neutrals. But I find that my spirits are lifted when I have colors around.

Beyond the colors of the rainbow, the phrase "Color My World" reminds me that I have some amount of choice, initiative or intention to contribute. Just how do I want to color:

my life?

a particular day?

my role as mom? wife? daughter? sister? friend?

my art?

I have a couple of quotes/reflections on crayons to ponder through the year. Each day I can consider and reflect - what colors are in my box of crayons today?

I'm looking forward to a colorful year in 2011, and I wish you a colorful 2011 as well.

Looking for more info? see the following links:

- 'Word of the Year' - Christine Kane

- Color Your World rubber stamp - Elvie Studio on Etsy

Happy New Year - Welcome 2011

2011-01-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Happy Sketching and Happy Painting in 2011!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all!! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog this year.

Grammy's tea cups

2010-12-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to sketch one of my grandmother's tea cups. She had many lovely things.

End of season treasure

2010-12-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Most of the leaves have fallen, the weather has turned cold, and most of my blooming plants have given up for the year.... But there are a few that still try to push through to continue sharing their gifts. What a treat it is to find a bloom this time of year!! A subtle reminder to me to keep pushing through and don't give up!!

Have a wonderful day!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!!

2010-11-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

I may be a day late.... but I still want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Thanksgiving Blessings to you and your families!

Leaf Reflections

2010-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

I just love Fall leaves - all of the colors and the opportunity to go out and 'collect' them on a walk. I've found myself picking up leaves again this fall and I've even noticed my husband picking up a few also - he set them out for me to paint. Thinking of leaves takes me back years to being a little kid and the times I raked leaves, jumped or stomped on piles of leaves, and the quiet contemplative walks where I couldn't resist the joy of picking up leaves. Its sort of like walking along the water's edge at the beach and feeling the irresistable urge to pick up sea treasures - shells or rocks that have washed up on shore. Ah... the wonder of fall leaves.

While painting these leaves I became eager to find some wise words that I recently read in a magazine at the Dentist's office. The quote was sort of hiding in the middle of the magazine all by itself - it wasn't 'featured' in any article. It was just sitting by itself on the side of the page - sort of as filler. But, the words caught my attention and once I read them I couldn't get them out of my mind. Yes, I have many things I need to let go of ..... and each falling leaf makes me think about them.

One more hour ....

2010-11-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

It started with the smell of fresh brewed coffee.... I took it as an invitation to take a break and 'smell the coffee'.

Fresh coffee ... well that sounded like the perfect reason to take out some home baked biscotti and gingerbread "Mini-Cooper" cutout cookies that recently arrived from my oldest son. So, I sat down with with a fresh cup of coffee in my neat Cool Moose coffee mug, with my new Cooking Light magazine and decided to just take a break.

I felt the fresh air from outside as the kitchen window was open, and I could hear the rain falling gently on the patio cover outside the window. A candle glimmered on the table providing a warm glow, and the smell of apples cooking on the stove for applesauce filled the air with sweetness.

Ah.... a priceless 'extra hour'. Life is good!

How did you spend your extra hour today?

Reference photo:

Autumn Bounty

2010-11-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

What a surprise when I came down to breakfast recently and spotted the grouping "at my place" on the kitchen table. I didn't remember seeing this arrangement when I went to bed the night before - and it really made me wonder where it came from. Perhaps it was a group of "midnight Elves". Ah.... after a cup of coffee I figured it out. Pretty sneaky Hubby!!

My husband joins his two older sons in providing me some painting challenges from time to time. The boys have given me multiple verbal descriptions of sunsets to paint, and even some beer labels. This challenge was different - it is sort of an odd collection of produce. My husband grew the eggplant in our backyard, the gourd was grown by local high school students, and the pears came from the grocery store. Quite a mixed bag!

Yali Pears from the Farmer's Market

2010-10-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

I made a special trip in the rain recently to the Farmer's Market in search of pears!! Oddly enough it looked like I would come home empty handed. Apples are the big crop here this time of year. But.... just before I hiked back to the car I spotted some pears. I found my treasured pears and chatted with the saleswoman about them. She was quick to point out that they are not like the familiar Bartlett Pears. No, these pears are a special Chinese Pear called a Yali. Unlike Bartlett they are not soft when ripe. Instead, a Yali is crisp when it is ripe. They also didn't seem as colorful - the only colors that I noticed were yellow and green with some raw sienna markings. When I told the woman I wanted to sketch them and I asked about other colors .... she did a quick check and brought out the smallest pear that is in the left side of my composition. That pear had a bit more contrast between the yellow and green.

Tasty memories of summer ....

2010-09-15T23:00:00.001-07:00

The kids are back in school, traffic is picking up, the weather is getting cooler .... signs that summer is on its way out. These cherries remind me of summer. Oh how I miss fresh cherries from the Farmer's Market!

Surprise!!

2010-09-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

I was recently surprised with a "care package" in the mail from my oldest son. I had fun creating a journal page to help remember this wonderful surprise. The page includes a 'surprise' in that the box top opens to reveal a fold-out mini-note representation of a handwritten note that was inside the box. I transcribed part of my son's handwritten note onto the mini-note and attached it as a foldout under the top of the box. Tracing paper was used for the mini-note to avoid too much bulk.

Photo of the page showing the flap partially open and the folded note inside:

What a treat!!!!!

Another take on the word 'bloom'

2010-08-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is a word image of "bloom" which was my focus word for 2009. I found it very rewarding to adopt a word for the year. As I focused on 'bloom' in 2009 I started to spend more time on my artwork and I even got up the nerve to start this blog. It seemed that my art "bloomed" during the year. Painting this image recently, I had fun remembering my art journey in 2009 and capturing the word in an unexpected way without flowers or other plants.....

P.S. I got the idea of a focus word for the year from Christine Kane, and a word image from Laure Ferlita. My word for 2010 is Clarity, and I'm still working on that one!!!

Sunday morning in SLO

2010-08-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

All is well.... a relaxing morning with my husband over a special cup of coffee at Peets in San Luis Obispo.... our college town many years ago... But, this time we had returned to pick-up our middle son (and all of his stuff) so that he could venture abroad for a year of foreign study.

Celebrate

2010-07-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

At the end of April my husband, my middle son, and I traveled to Texas to celebrate the "Winging" of our oldest son Ryan as a Navy Pilot. After the ceremony we traveled to San Antonio, Texas for a brief visit as a way to celebrate the big event. We really enjoyed wandering around the RiverWalk.

These are memory pages of our short stay in San Antonio. I did these memory pages as part of the Artful Journaling class. For the second page the assignment was to use the same images as the first page but do different things to compose the page. It was a good exercise in doing things differently.

My reason for posting these images *today* is that it is Ryan's birthday.

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

England: London Tour Bus

2010-07-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

And my final image from my Imaginary Trip to England. What a great time I had!!

England: Snowdonia

2010-07-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Finishing up posting some pages from my sketchbook of my Imaginary Trip to England. It was an wonderful journey!

P.S. In case you're wondering why my blog has been a bit quiet lately... I've been missing my blog and doing my art - but I've been busy with normal responsibilities and helping my mother with some recent health issues.

England: Morning has broken ...

2010-06-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

<< Another image from my Imaginary Trip to England class >>

A path like this speaks 'welcome' to me. This scene also reminded me of some of the words of a familiar song:

Morning has broken, like the first morning ....

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden .....

England: Visit to an Art Store

2010-06-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

When we were given a 'free' afternoon I thought it would be a great opportunity to search out an art store that I had found in GoogleMaps on the internet. It was going to be a treasure hunt of sorts. I used the nearest Underground station at Tottenham Court Road to get to L. Cornelissen & Son art store. It was easy to spot - the Hunter Green signature store front. Once inside I felt like a kid in a candy store - there were so many tempting art supplies! I was especially taken with the nice leather sketchbooks that they had. So many wonderful supplies..... so little money.... so little time....

P.S. This is another imaginary adventure from my Imaginary Trip to England.

EDiM21 Something Antique

2010-06-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

I've fallen in love with these 3 small ceramic serving pieces from the Santa Fe train line that belong to my mom. I think they are individual cream and sugar containers, and a small plate or saucer. She must have picked them up when she and my Dad were chasing his love of trains. Lots of memories of trains and train-related items over the years!!

EDiM21: Draw something antique. This is part of a series that I started in May. I'm still trying to catch up on a challenge that I joined for the month of May - to do items 1 to 31 from the Everyday Matters list.

England: Cross Keys Pub

2010-05-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another page from my journal of my imaginary trip to England - I had a great time.

EDiM10 My hand

2010-05-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Its faint .... but its there. Yes, that's my left hand - bent fingers and all. This was an interesting exercise and I amazed myself in finishing it in under 10 minutes.

EDiM12 Dinnertime!!

2010-05-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

Its unusually cold here this year and we even getting some rain. As I drove home from work I noticed the dark clouds rolling in ...and decided that it felt like soup weather. So I fixed up a pot of homemade tomato soup with spinach. Not bad for a quick dinner after work!

P.S. My EDiM (Everyday Matters assignments done Every Day in May (well sort of)) posts are going to be out of order as I get an opportunity to attempt them.

EDiM13 My cell phone and .....

2010-05-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

My cell phone and old fashioned letters have vital communication links for me. They are especially priceless with my two sons who have flown out of our nest. I'm glad to have multiple ways to reach them when our spare minutes line up -- a cell phone call, text message, email or online chatting, or real letter in the mail!! While I make use of all of these methods of communication, the best by far is a chat in person and a big HUG!!

P.S. My EDiM (Everyday Matters assignments done Every Day in May (well sort of)) posts are going to be out of order as I get an opportunity to attempt them.
EDIM13 = Draw a telephone

EDiM11 Sunglasses

2010-05-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

I will say that this EDM challenge is a good discipline to find something to draw each day. I surprised myself in freehand drawing these sunglasses. Perfect - no way ... but much better than I would have drawn a year ago!! Its true - practice, practice, practice!!!

EDiM5 Bed in the Cozy Corner at Mom's

2010-05-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

The EDM5 challenge is to draw a bed. The first bed that came to mind is the day bed at my mom's. Its a comfy bed in a cozy little room making for a special get-away retreat. When I decided to sketch this bed I didn't have a photo reference - but I thought of a secret way to get a photo reference. My sister-in-law Amor came to my rescue by taking a photo and sending me the digital image. I think Mom will be surprised!

EDiM4 Draw a cup or mug

2010-05-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is my 'comfort mug' - my everyday mug for my morning coffee.

P.S. My EDiM (Everyday Matters assignments done Every Day in May (well sort of)) posts are going to be out of order as I get an opportunity to attempt them.

EDiM7 Draw a bottle from the Kitchen

2010-05-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

I couldn't stop with just one. I chose 2 of my favorite bottles from the kitchen - Vanilla and Balsamic Vinegar. What a combination!!

P.S. My EDiM (Everyday Matters assignments done Every Day in May (well sort of)) posts are going to be out of order as I get an opportunity to attempt them.

EDiM8 Draw a piece of Jewelry

2010-05-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to draw my 'comfort jewelry' -- what I go for day after day - a set of 3 simple, silver cuff bracelets. My very first silver cuff bracelet was given to me by my Grammy years ago when I was a little girl. It was a souvenir from her visit to the Grand Canyon. I still have that small bracelet in my jewelry box and I cherish it. That bracelet got me started on my fondness for these simple pieces of silver jewelry.

This sketch is the 3 bracelets that I wear on most days. The two bracelets on the right were purchased in Williamsburg a few years ago as my souvenirs from a family vacation. The bracelet on the left is a new one that I recently ordered with my own words. I'm very fond of 'quotes' and I'm always scribbling them on scraps of napkins or pieces of paper. But every now and then I ask myself why I don't have the confidence to use my own words more.... instead of always looking for someone else's words. When an opportunity came up to order a bracelet with any words I wanted -- I decided to go with my own words:
Find the joy in your life....

These words are a message to myself - an instruction to take the initiative to try to find the bright spots each day.

P.S. You may notice that I like to do many things in 3's -- because I'm the mom of 3 great sons.

EDiM3 One of my Art Bags

2010-05-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

I have quite a few bags for all different reasons. Several are used for my art supplies. This is one of my "fun" art bags. I purchased it at a Farmer's Market in Morro Bay a couple of years ago. It is made from a pair of recycled jeans for a small girl. Its even got some pink flowers on it and small ruffles - definitely "girly". This bag is certainly different for me being the mother of 3 boys! The bag looked so cute hanging on the rack, but with no daughter to buy one for - at first I looked walked on by. But it sure got my eye and I kept thinking about it - it was hard to ignore. Before long the wheels in my mind were turning and I went back to the denim bag booth. All of a sudden I had an aha moment and thought it would be perfect for some travel art supplies! Bingo! Sold!

P.S. My EDiM (Everyday Matters assignments done Every Day in May (well sort of)) posts are going to be out of order as I get an opportunity to attempt them.

The Buckingham Palace Guards

2010-05-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

I'm just finishing up another wonderful Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita to England. I'll be opening my sketchbook to share a few of my journal pages with you ....

I'm so glad that our adventure began with a visit outside Buckingham Palace so we could capture a view of the Palace Guards. They were quite a sight -- just like I had seen in all of the tour books, and there was a constant stream of visitors outside the Palace gates just trying to catch a glimpse of these popular Palace Guards.

EDM in EDiM 1: Draw a shoe

2010-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

EDM in EDiM: While surfing other blogs recently... I found an interesting idea to keep me busy in May on the blog of Liz and Borromini Bear. I learned about a group who have decided to do a drawing a day in May from the "Everyday Matters" (EDM) list. This seemed like a great idea to encourage me to do more sketching. The timing was almost right... as I am just finishing up a fantastic Imaginary Trip to England class, which is the reason that I haven't started this EDM challenge for May until mid-month. But... thinking positive I figure that I can catch up. So.... this is my first sketch for EDM in EDiM (Everyday Matters in May).

Now let me tell you a little more about this shoe.... My husband and I recently enjoyed a short get-away to San Luis Obispo, CA where we went to college. Over the weekend, we met up with my roommate Christy and her husband, and a few others for a mini-reunion of sorts. Right away I noticed a pair of cute pair of honey colored shoes that Christy was wearing. They looked so cheery - the spiral on the side looked sort of like a smile to me. The next morning I took a walk by myself to the downtown area before the shops had opened. When I walked by a shoe store - I just happened to notice a display of those same shoes in different colors (and some were bright!). I just kept looking at them, and thinking about them on my walk back to the hotel. Later in the day, Christy and I managed to get away to go back to the shoe store so I could try the shoes on. First I went for red... but they weren't quite right for me. Next I went for the dark blue - similar to denim or indigo. Ah.... they felt great and seemed like they would be fun to wear. As soon as we left the shoe store we stopped outside for a picture -- looking down at both of our pairs of shoes. I knew when I snapped the picture that I would want to paint it sometime. Then along came this EDM in EDiM challenge #1 to draw a shoe!!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

I may be a couple of days late .... but the wishes are the same. I wish you all a

Happy Mother's Day

- especially to my Mom!

Place de la Concorde

2010-05-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

.... another stop on my journey around Paris....

Doing something different - Mission San Jose - San Antonio, Texas

2010-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Some may be wondering about the recent silence on my blog - I've been busy with my normal life, Imaginary Trip to England class, and some family travel. Most recently I was in Texas for my oldest son's Winging as a Naval Pilot. This was my first visit to Texas and we managed to spend one night and the better part of two days in San Antonio.

During my travels, when I was checking some of the blogs I follow, I happened to find a post on Urban Sketchers for several sketches of Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas by Paul Heaston!! This was both surprising and interesting to me as I am from San Jose, California where we also have a Mission San Jose. Since we were already planning to visit San Antonio I added the mission to my list of things to visit.

On Sunday afternoon we visited Mission San Jose in San Antonio. Although I didn't have time to do my own sketches with watercolor, I took many photos that I can use as resources in the future. However, during my visit I was able to do a couple of "rubbings" of a brass plate depicting the mission in the Visitor's Center. Mission San Jose is one of several in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the Rangers had supplies to do rubbings. I enjoyed doing the rubbings - it was fun doing something different!! and I look forward to doing some watercolor sketches of it from the photos I took.

The Musee Rodin

2010-05-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

I used a couple of photos off of the Musee Rodin website as inspiration. What a fun place it would be to take a stroll through the gardens.

This second image was painted from a very small and long photo. It is one of my favorites because of the different format.

Sacred Heart

2010-04-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Another view of the Sacred Heart in Paris.... also known as La Basilique du Sacre-Coeur.

Another view of the Arc de Triomphe

2010-04-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed sketching the Arc de Triomphe several times before... Recently I decided to sketch it again... but this time I decided to do something a little different after I found an interesting photo using GoogleMaps:

Google Maps reference photo:

Afternoon Coffee at the Corner Cafe

2010-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm dreaming of Paris again.... do you want to join me for a cup of coffee in this cute corner Cafe?

I remember hearing about the Moulin Rouge

2010-04-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

There it is - the famed Moulin Rouge. It opened way back in 1889 and is best known for the CanCan with the fancy costumes.

Coffee Shop Pleasures

2010-04-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

A while back I was reading an entry on my oldest son's blog and it instantly made think that his reflection would make a memorable journal page. I printed out his blog entry and put it in my folder of items to paint "someday". Today was my first Easter that I was unable to celebrate with any of my 3 boys and I missed them all. It is sad how their time at home passes so quickly. Tonight I remembered Ryan's blog entry in my folder of painting ideas, and decided to paint it as a way to add some more 'family' to my day.

Although I've never visited "Coffee Waves" I have heard lots about it from my son. It sounds so unique and it looks like I will get to visit it before the month is out -- when I visit my son in Texas for his "Winging". I hope this journal page will be a special keepsake for him to remember this special place in Texas as he moves back to Florida for more flight training.

P.S. "Coffee Waves" is in Corpus Christi, Texas and all of the written prose in the journal page (except for leftmost margin) is taken directly from my son's blog.

Kids can be a challenge ....

2010-04-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'll bet that something came to mind other than a sunset... Let me explain... my kids periodically challenge me to paint something like a sunset or artwork for a beer label. Most recently, my son Sean left me another teasing phone message about a beautiful sunset in San Luis Obispo. I have painted a couple of these before (see one and two). I find it's an interesting exercise to paint a scene just from some words without any visual reference -- good practice. I have fun transcribing the phone message onto my journal page with my painted image to capture more of the memory.

Thanks Sean for the latest challenge!!!

The end of my day at the beach

2010-03-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ah... it's the end of the day and that means it is the end of my trip to the beach (oops I mean end of my beach 'class'). I had a wonderful time soaking up the sun, the fresh air, the colorful sights of the beach, and painting!! I made new friends and I think my Beach Buddies had a great time too!!

..... I better start packing for my trip to England!!!

Gathering shells on the beach

2010-03-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

I love walking on the beach and picking up shells and rocks along the way. It always feels like a treasure hunt. Through the years I've collected many memories of walking on the beach with my parents, my husband, my boys, and many friends. It always provides me with a "breath of fresh air" from my day-to-day life.

Yesterday was my grandmother's birthday. I called her Grammy. Thinking about what I wanted to post on my blog - I remembered this beach image and how fitting it would be to share it in celebration of Grammy's birthday. She introduced my mother and I to the wise words of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and I still treasure her copy of the "Gifts from the Sea" book. Thanks Grammy!!

Off in Paris again

2010-03-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

My infrequent posts are the result of keeping myself busy in two different classes with Laure Ferlita. The Beach class just finished and we're just finishing up another trip to Paris. I sure have had fun traveling around Paris again!! I'll post some more images from Paris in the coming days.

A little bit of green ....

2010-03-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Its St. Patrick's Day ... and I didn't paint a special image for today so I went looking in my recent images to find something to share with you. I decided on Old Mr. Turtle as his shell has some deep greens... I hope you all have a special St. Patrick's Day today and I hope you're wearing some green too!

Old Mr. Turtle and I offer you this familiar Irish Blessing to celebrate the day....

May the road rise to meet you,

may the wind be ever at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

P.S. While I've got my turtle here... I'll leave you with some turtle wisdom:

Try to be like the turtle -- at ease in your own shell

anonymous

Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.

James Bryant Conant

Have a great St. Patrick's Day!!!

Come walk with me to the beach ....

2010-03-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

Come walk with me to the beach.... feel the fresh sea air blowing through your hair, walk barefoot in the sand, get your feet wet, look for beach treasures and take it all in ....

..... b r e a t h e ......

Flamingo

2010-03-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Wow - what color these exotic birds have. I guess you can't be too shy when you're that bright!

P.S. Ryan - This Flamingo makes me think of you moving back to Florida soon.....

Eventide

2010-02-28T22:26:00.001-08:00

What a sight ... to sit on the deck of a restaurant near the water as the sun goes down... and enjoy a glass of wine!!

A doodle a day .... ?

2010-02-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

Everyday I try to incorporate some form of art as a way of adding 'sunshine' or 'color' to my life. I find great happiness in sketching and painting and sharing my creations with you on my blog. This focus on art also makes me more aware of and appreciate artistic things that come my way. So I was fascinated this morning to read a headline on the internet "For Google, doodles are oodles of surprise". I just had to check it out with my morning coffee. Ever wonder about those creative takes on the Google logo? Check out the article. I found it interesting to know more about where these doodles come from, and I thought it was an interesting coincidence that the Google doodles are created about 20 minutes from my house...

Have a great day and find some time to doodle!!

Somedays I feel a little "crabby" ....

2010-02-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

I chuckled as I started a recent assignment for my Trip to the Beach class. We were to sketch some "Beach Bugs" and the assignment introduced us to Fiddler Crabs. Sketching this crab sure was a different experience for me ... it was not an image I would have chosen myself. As such, I felt a little out of my comfort zone. But, sometimes it is good to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. The experience taught me about Fiddler Crabs and gave me a chance to think about beach bugs in new ways. It also caused me to think a bit about my own life.....

I'll admit it ... some days I'm a little "crabby" - when I have an off day or things don't quite go as I would want. Next time I'm having a 'crabby day' I'm sure that my image of this Fiddler Crab will come to mind and remind me to 'step out of my shell' .....

Still dreaming of a visit to the beach ....

2010-02-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

I'm still looking forward to a visit to the beach. It doesn't look like it will happen this weekend as the weather forecast says "rain"! Sigh.... someday soon....

I'm in the mood for a trip to the beach

2010-02-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

I think I've had enough of the cold winter days and nights for this season. I'm now craving a trip to the beach. In the meantime I'm dreaming of the beach as I take Laure Ferlita's An Imaginary Visit to the Beach class. It is lots of fun. This starfish page was my first assignment. I wanted to write something on the page but I just couldn't think of much to say.

... then I got sidetracked searching the internet... Eventually I stumbled on several versions of an interesting story about a person and a starfish that I had never heard before. It was a new story to me ... but it has been around a long time and many of you may be familiar with it already. I found that the story quickly became intertwined in my mind with my beach scene. Now whenever I look at my beach painting I start thinking of this special Starfish story and some of the questions it brings up. Where is my starfish? and how can I make a difference? There are numerous versions of the story on the web. Here are a couple of links that I found:

Wikipedia
Joel Barker's version and in a short video

Along the River Seine

2010-02-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

This is a view along the River Seine that I painted from a photo image.

This is my 100th post on my blog.

A year later and 99 postings later....

2010-02-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

I uploaded my first image on this blog back on January 12, 2009. So... its been just over a year and this is post #99. I didn't quite make 100, but I got pretty close. As I reflect back over this past year I am amazed at what I've gained through this blog journey - encouragement to devote time to my art, feedback on my paintings, improved drawing and painting skills, exposure to amazing art at other blog sites, and new friends. The journey even included some exposure around the globe to bloggers elsewhere and peeks at "Paris" through my online class. Blogging this past year has been such a wonderful journey and I thank everyone that I've interacted with for being part of my journey. Thank you so much!!

The image above is one of my favorite paintings from the 'Imaginary Trip through Autumn' class that I took last fall with Laure Ferlita .... in parallel with my imaginary trip to Paris with her. It was a busy Fall!!

Quiet spot in the garden at Versailles

2010-01-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Another image from the gardens of Versailles.....

View from the past

2010-01-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

I recently found this painting of a hibiscus that I did a number of years ago on a trip to Hawaii with my family. I took my art supplies along on the trip but found it hard to find time or focus to paint. However, I did manage to do this small painting of a Hibiscus during the trip and I sent it as a postcard to my mother. Fortunately Mom saved it through the years and I borrowed it last summer to scan it. It is now fun for me to look back at it and see it from a 'distance'.

Mission San Luis Obispo

2010-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot to post this painting last fall. I took a mini-vacation to San Luis Obispo to 'recharge' and also spend a little time with two of my sons (one a student at Cal Poly and the other in for a visit). During my time away from home I wanted to do some painting. One day I walked from my hotel into town, with my art bag slung over my shoulder, determined to paint something on the spot. But.... I do get a little intimidated... and usually return without having painted. This time I walked into the Mission Plaza and to my amazement (and pure coincidence) I walked right into an art event -- the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival. Many artists had gathered to do some painting 'on the spot' and they were just finishing their paintings. The plaza was full of people as there were many spectators. While the artists cleaned up their things and headed over for the official judging... I started talking to myself.... "Claire - sit down and paint something .... just do it!!". Finally I got the courage to sit on a small stone fence, get out my supplies, and paint the San Luis Obispo Mission directly in front of me. When I finally got started then I began to relax and enjoy the process. I did it!

Art Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

With the recent earthquakes and devastation in Haiti ... many of us are looking for ways to reach out and help. Laure Ferlita is coordinating an outreach for the people of Haiti with "Art Hearts for Haiti". These are the two hearts that I sent to Laure for the outreach project.

I came across these quotes that speak to me at this time:

When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. ~John F. Kennedy, address, 12 April 1959

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt

A new casual necklace for the year

2010-01-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

I thought this new little necklace would be an interesting way to keep some focus on my word of the year, Clarity. It is a small leather scroll and it has just a few pages of paper that I can write small quotes or thoughts during the year. I picked up the necklace on Etsy.

New beginnings for 2010

2010-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

January 2010 ... the beginning of both a new year and a new decade. New adventures lie ahead!! I'm excited to start the year and see what adventures are in store for the year. I have 2 brand new sketchbooks - a wonderful Christmas gift from my son Sean. It is going to be so fun to fill these new sketchbooks with new paintings and sketches during 2010. I also have a new new pair of glasses to use for my art work.

Another new thing for the year is that I've chosen a new word to focus on for 2010. I did the same last year and found it to be very beneficial. My word for 2009 was Bloom and it did inspire me both with art and with friendships. At the end of 2009 it also gave me a lens to use to look back over my year. For 2010 I've chosen Clarity and it will be interesting to see how my year unfolds.....

P.S. To learn more about the idea of choosing/adopting a word for the year:
http://christinekane.com/blog/resolution-revolution-a-better-way-to-start-your-year/

A Toast to the New Year

2010-01-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

A little late .... but I'd like to offer all of my blog friends a toast to the New Year. I hope this late toast just extends the festivities for you!!

P.S. Its Chardonnay rather than Champagne!

Memories of Summer

2010-01-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

For some reason ... in the cold of winter I'm thinking of the wonderful bounty of fresh fruit from last summer....

2009 ... it was a very good year

2009-12-31T22:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight is New Year's Eve... the end of 2009 (in fact the end of a decade) and I'm filled with thoughts about 2009.

At the end of 2008 I was reading about the approaching new year on Christine Kane's blog, Live Creative, and I was inspired to choose a word for 2009. The word I chose was Bloom, and now looking back I think that it was the perfect word for my year. Having the word helped me focus and grow/bloom in my art and in making new friendships during 2009. I'm still thinking about what word to adopt for 2010...

As part of my "blooming" this year .... I began posting my paintings to this blog starting back in January, and I've appreciated all of the feedback and encouragement that I've received. In addition, I've thoroughly enjoyed visiting other art blogs throughout the year. I treasure the interactions here on my blog and on my visits to your blogs. Thanks for stopping by for a visit and I hope you drop by again in 2010!!

Looking back over my art for the year, some of the pieces most dear to me are the beer labels that I did for my oldest son. I blogged about them in two entries earlier this year (first batch and second batch) and he says he'll keep me busy with orders for more labels in the future. For Christmas he gave me the following framed piece in thanks for our collaboration on the beer labels for his 2009 home brew releases:

I was thrilled to open the package and see all of the labels framed together. This was such a special surprise and it is now hanging in my kitchen. Thanks Ryan!!

I want to wish all of my blog friends Happy New Year!! and in the spirit of New Years.... Cheers!!!

P.S. I just remembered that I had a picture of us doing a tasting at home over the holidays:

Follow-up for Paris Trip and Christmas

2009-12-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with my Paris class this fall and after some of my family members expressed an interest in some of the paintings .... I got the idea that I could make a few Christmas gifts to share the images with them. I ordered a hardback book for my Mom with all of the images and narrative that I had posted (much of it was fictional), and some coffee mugs. Here is a shot of some of the gifts.

P.S. These were made on the Shutterfly site and I was delighted with the results.

Trip to Paris - cover for my book

2009-12-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

This is the end of my Imaginary Trip to Paris -- the cover for the book that I made in the class. The image that popped up most in my journal is the Eiffel Tower so it is fitting that it also appear on the cover of my journal. I enjoyed painting this cover -- and was pleased to even capture the cyclist (reminding me of my oldest son!) from the reference photo.

P.S. I borrowed the lace/eyelet idea from elviestudio.

<<< from my continuing adventures in Laure Ferlita's An Imaginary Trip to Paris class >>>

Trip to Paris - Final Impressions (Collage)

2009-12-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Not sure what there is left to say ... it was a wonderful adventure and a fantastic learning experience with Laure Ferlita!! A suprise bonus is the new treasured friendships with my traveling companions!!

<<< from my continuing adventures in Laure Ferlita's An Imaginary Trip to Paris class >>>

Happy Holidays 2009

2009-12-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays

With love and warmth

from Claire

This image is from a Christmas card I did a few years ago.... and I had totally forgotten about it until my mother mentioned that she was sending out some of the leftover cards this year. It brought back memories and made me smile when my mom showed the card to me last weekend, and I took the opportunity to scan the image before the last card went in the mail. Thank goodness for moms who keep some of our treasures for us!! Thanks Mom!!

My Visit to Sacred Heart

2009-12-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

Today was a different venture for us. We went to La Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, or what we know of as Sacred Heart. Laure described it to us as looking as a wedding cake and she was right. To get to it we had quite a journey traversing steep hills and staircase streets all the way up to Montmartre. Along the way we came upon many spots that offered sweeping views of the city below. We were sidetracked at first with some of the souvenir shops along the way but we eventually reached the top. Sacred Heart was quite an impressive sight and I started to worry about how I could do justice to paint it in my journal. It was certainly going to be a challenge. But, I was so glad that we got up to see it up close in all its splendor. The architecture is definitely impressive and the stained glass windows are absolutely beautiful! I only wish we could have stayed longer to soak in all of the beauty. This really is a trip to remember!!

<<< from my continuing adventures in Laure Ferlita's An Imaginary Trip to Paris class >>>